"Because of Humans"... Two-Thirds of Asian Elephant Habitats Disappear

by Kim Eunha

Published 30 Apr.2023 11:56(KST)

Updated 30 Apr.2023 12:04(KST)

Decrease of 3.3 Million km² Since 1700

An analysis has revealed that since 1700, approximately two-thirds of the habitat suitable for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) across Asia?about 3.3 million km²?has disappeared. This is due to deforestation and the expansion of agricultural areas.

On the 28th, Professor Sherman de Silva's team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) published the results of their analysis on changes in Asian elephant habitats based on land use data from 850 to 2015 in the scientific journal Scientific Reports.

[Image source=Pixabay]

The research team estimated changes in elephant ecosystems in 13 Asian countries, including mainland China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, and Sumatra in Indonesia, from 850 to 2015, and calculated changes in suitable elephant habitats from 1700 to 2015.

Asian elephant habitats remained relatively stable for centuries before 1700. However, from 1700 to 2015, 94% of these habitats disappeared in China alone, marking the largest decline, and 86% were lost in India as well.

The lost suitable habitat amounts to 64% of the total, or 3.3 million km², which is 15 times the area of the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, during this period, the average size of each elephant habitat decreased by more than 80%, from 99,000 km² to 16,000 km², indicating significant fragmentation of habitats.

The researchers analyzed that the accelerated loss of elephant habitats since 1700 was a result of European colonization. During the colonial era, logging, road construction, resource extraction, and deforestation increased, and agriculture expanded into lands where wildlife could previously live.

The research team explained, “In 1700, elephants could roam undisturbed across 45% of their habitat, but by 2015, they could only move freely in 7.5% of it.”

The team pointed out that although Asian elephants inhabit diverse environments such as grasslands and tropical rainforests, the expansion of human land use and increasing habitat loss raise concerns about potential conflicts between elephants and humans. They also emphasized that “to ensure the survival of current elephant populations, it is necessary to identify suitable habitats and attempt to connect these habitats.”